In the other room Anita lay just as awake as Kayla. She realized that she actually felt a small measure of relief after finally telling Kayla the truth about her parents. But that relief was eclipsed by the situation at hand. She was acutely aware of the inherent risks involved in dealing with a cartel the size of the Montenegro. Because of her brother, she had seen firsthand how badly these things could go. Even though she genuinely felt bad for her friend, this whole situation had opened up old wounds that she had deceived herself into believing had been healed long ago. The truth was they had never really healed. She had just buried her pain so deep that she was able to pretend that that they had.
Almost everyone she loved had left her. Her mother left by way of suicide, giving into the blackness that consumed her. Her father had just walked out the door, pushed to his breaking point by a woman whose emotional agony was just as deep as his own and moved onto a life that didn’t involve her. Then there was her brother. Her poor sweet Anthony who chose to give in to the weakness of addiction and the life of secrecy that often went with it.
Out of the three, it was her brother’s death that pained and disturbed her the most. That was her big brother and they had been so close. The details surrounding his death made her wonder if there were any other secrets that he had kept. She just couldn’t stop thinking about him and wishing he was here to tell her what the right thing was to do.
“Why’d you leave me?” she cried into her pillow.
She and her brother had been the best of friends. They were always there for each other no matter what. She still carried a bit of guilt for not being more aware of what was going on with him. She felt she should have known what he was doing; if she had, she would have stopped him. But now it was too late and he was gone. Any chance they had to be the ‘ride or die twins’ as they liked to call themselves, died the same day he did. Quiet as it was kept, helping Kayla and her mother wasn’t just an act of love she performed for them; she was also doing it for herself. Maybe if she could get them through this situation safe and unscathed, there would be a chance for her to be delivered from the blame she always placed on herself because of her brother. Maybe the gut-wrenching pain she felt whenever she thought of him would finally go away. Just before she rolled over and shoved her face into her pillow trying to stifle the sounds of her sobbing, she reminded herself to make one very important phone call in the morning.
After Kayla got up early to shower and get dressed, she called the office to tell them she wouldn’t be in. After speaking to everyone she needed to, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast for Anita. She figured it was the least she could do to show her gratitude for all of her help. As Anita prepared for the day in her room, she smelled bacon and went to the kitchen to see what Kayla was up to. As she entered, Kayla turned and told her to have a seat. A few minutes later, she presented Anita with scrambled eggs topped with cheddar cheese, a side of bacon and a small bowl of fruit salad with a steaming hot cup of coffee.
“How’s that for service?”
“Great. I sure didn’t feel like fixing anything this morning. I really appreciate this Kayla.”
Kayla sat down. “I just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done. You are an awesome friend and I don’t know how I would have gotten through this without you.”
“You’re tougher and stronger than you realize Kayla. Even without me, you would have been fine,” Anita said as she shoved a forkful of eggs into her mouth. “These are really good. You can cook for me anytime.”
Kayla smiled and went to clean up the kitchen.
“I called in to work already. I decided I’m not going to go in after all. Once again, you were right; I should be with mom when she gets home.”
“No question about that. I’ll keep you updated throughout the day. I would stay with you but after the night I had, I really need to stay busy.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything but this whole situation just takes me back to when my brother was killed. It hit me last night, hard. I really had a lot of trouble sleeping because of it.”
“I’m so sorry. I wish I had known. I spent most of the night tossing and turning myself. I even thought about coming to your room but I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Even if I wasn’t up, you could have come in. I know what you’re going through and I know it’s not easy.”
“No it’s not.”
Kayla went back to cleaning up the kitchen while Anita finished eating. Just before she went to her room she told Kayla how much she reminded her of Mama Ann. Boy when Mama Ann was upset she could clean a house like no other. As Kayla cleaned the kitchen she had looked just like her.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Kayla said as she smiled her most appreciative smile.
Anita just shook her head, “You are ridiculous. I’m going to get dressed. Some of us have to go to work today.”
When Anita got back to her room, she remembered the phone call she wanted to make. She went through her contact list until she found the number she was looking for. She hit the call button and waited.
***
Aunt Nat, Mama Ann and Cousin Lawrence reached Lambert at 9:30 a.m. As they pulled up in front of the house, Mama Ann looked over at Nat and told her how glad she was to be home.
“I know. There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed surrounded by your own things,” Aunt Nat responded.
As they got out of the car, Kayla flew out of the door and down the walkway. When she reached her mother, she hugged her so hard that Mama Ann told her if she didn’t let go she was going to break some bones.
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to be home when you got here.”
Mama Ann looked around Kayla toward the house, “Where’s Anita?”
“She decided to go in and take care of things since I wouldn’t be there.”
Kayla didn’t want to mention the sleepless night both she and Anita had or say anything about just how stressed they both were.
“Come on. Let’s go on inside. I don’t really feel comfortable standing out here.”
Through squinted eyes, Lawrence looked up and down the block. His whole aura reeked of distrust and apprehension. Kayla reached out and grabbed her mother’s hand and all but dragged her into the house with Aunt Nat following close behind.
Kayla stopped for a moment and looked behind them. “I assume you’re Lawrence?”
“Yeah,” he responded as he continued to survey the area.
“Well, I’m Kayla. Thank you for looking out for my mother.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied still not looking at Kayla.
When Kayla reached the front door, she stopped again. “Are you coming?” she called.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” he said as his eyes did one final sweep of the area.
Once in the house and in spite of all the drama, Mama Ann seemed to relax. She walked over to Nat and placed her hand gently on her shoulder.
“I hope I didn’t offend you. I don’t want you to think that I’m not grateful for what you have done for me. I appreciate it more than you know. I’ve just never been one for spending too much time away from home.”
Nat waved her explanation away. “No offense taken. I understand perfectly. I’m a bit of a homebody myself.”
The two women smiled at each other and looked over at Lawrence.
“What are you doing?” Nat asked him.
Lawrence had positioned himself by the living room window. Without turning around, never allowing his eyes to leave the window he answered, “Just making sure there’s nothing going on out here that shouldn’t be.”
Mama Ann asked him if he wanted something to eat or some coffee or something.
“No food for me thanks, just makes my reflexes slow; but coffee sounds good. Thank you.” For the first time since they arrived, he actually smiled.
“I’ll help you with the coffee while your security team of
one stays out here,” Nat said.
Kayla stayed in the living room with Lawrence. She was studying his profile in the light when he turned and looked at her.
“Something wrong?”
“No. I was just wondering.”
“Wondering what?”
“Is this you all the time? I mean, you just seem so wound up, so tense.”
His expression was solemn as he turned to look at Kayla. His face was like granite, all hard edges without even a hint of a smile. His brows knit together and his lips tightened.
“You know what happened to Anthony?”
“Who?”
He looked momentarily exasperated and just a bit annoyed. “Anthony. Anita’s brother, my cousin.”
Kayla was slightly embarrassed. “Of course. It’s just that, well, whenever Anita talks about it, she doesn’t even mention his name anymore. It’s been so long since she has, I just forgot for a second. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Anita thinks that not calling his name somehow makes it less personal and for her, it hurts a little less.”
Kayla nodded.
“None of us saw it coming. None of us had a clue. Anthony kept what he was doing so well hidden that we were all caught off guard. Does any of that sound familiar?”
Kayla dipped her head thoughtfully. “Yeah, unfortunately it does.”
“Anita’s my cousin and if she says that she or anyone connected to her needs help, we’ll always be there to help however we can. I have to be honest, when she told us about your father; it kind of struck a nerve. With the exception of the money laundering, what happened to Anthony and your father, well to me it was the same. You can never be too careful when dealing with these drug guys. They’re as shady as they come. I couldn’t help or save my cousin, so I’m going to make sure that I do everything in my power to help you and your mom. If I seem wound up, it’s because I am. I know very well just how dangerous this situation is. I just can’t afford to let my guard down.”
Kayla looked at him long and hard. In spite of his unsmiling exterior, she sensed his caring heart and she also saw the pain that drove him. For a minute, she just wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright. She fought the impulse and head toward the kitchen.
“I’ll be right back with your coffee.”
Meanwhile, at the medical center, Anita skillfully handled Kayla’s absence and managed the office like the pro she was. Since she hadn’t heard from anyone she figured everything was fine. “No news is good news,” she thought. If she didn’t hear from Kayla or Aunt Nat by lunchtime, she would call them then. Just as she was about to leave her desk, her cell phone vibrated. She quickly checked and saw that it was the other call she had been waiting on.
“Anita Lewis?”
“This is she.”
“Hello Anita, this is Agent Sullivan. I got your message. Is everything alright?”
Agent Sullivan was the Supervisory Special Agent that had been assigned to her brother’s case. He gave her his card and told her that if she ever needed anything to give him a call. It wasn’t until last night that she even remembered she had his card and started to wonder if maybe he could help with what was going on with Mama Ann. She wasn’t sure, but she thought maybe if the FBI was working with the DEA in taking down the Montenegro Cartel, then Agent Sullivan might be willing to tell her something that would help them to help themselves.
She went into Kayla’s office so she could speak privately. She gave him all the details from the beginning and ended with how they wanted to meet with Mama Ann to make arrangements for payment.
There was an almost painful silence before Agent Sullivan finally spoke. “It’s too risky.”
“What do you mean? If she agrees to get the mortgages then what’s the problem?
“First of all, there’s no guarantee that the bank or banks will agree to mortgage the properties again. If they don’t, Mama Ann and Kayla are as good as dead. Second, even if she does get the loans, there’s no guarantee that the cartel won’t get tired of waiting for the rest of the money, then change the terms of the agreement and demand immediate payment of the balance. If Mama Ann can’t produce the cash, they will kill her. I’m sorry but if she goes in there to negotiate on her own, with no back up, there is no version of this that is not going to end with her dead.” He stopped talking and waited to see if Anita understood.
As Anita absorbed what he was telling her, he continued. “Your friends are in a very dangerous and precarious position. If this were about anything else besides owed money, I might be able to be slightly more positive about the outcome, but unfortunately I can’t.”
“But there has to be something you can do!”
“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on down in Lambert but absolutely no communications have come to us about any activity involving the Montenegro Cartel. We usually work very closely with the DEA and we have not heard so much as a whisper.”
“But Detective Woods said that his Chief was supposed to speak with the DEA. Maybe…” Agent Sullivan cut her off.
“Don’t tell anyone you even spoke to me and whatever you do, do not go to the local police. I may be wrong but it’s entirely possible that the Chief is down with the cartel; if he is then he has to keep up appearances. He might have only told him he was going to speak to them to try to keep his role undercover and to keep the Detective from pressing or asking too many questions.”
Anita couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Just when there was a glimmer of hope, everything just went from bad to worse.
“I hate to say it, but this Detective Woods may not be in a very good position either. If word gets back to the cartel that he was talking to people he shouldn’t have been, then his days are pretty well numbered. These drug cartels don’t take kindly to snitches.”
Anita remained silent.
“I’m going to talk to some people and get back to you. Your job is to keep your mouth shut and try to stall this negotiation as much as possible without drawing any suspicion. Taking down a cartel of that size usually requires a coordinated effort. I have to be honest with you; we may not be able to coordinate anything before they press for that meeting. If it seems like they’re putting the pressure on then by all means, Mama Ann needs to go. If she doesn’t they will come for her. Either way I’ll be in touch.”
The line went dead. Anita’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to jump through her chest. Agent Sullivan had voiced the same possibilities that Kayla had. For the first time since all of this started, she was gripped with the most paralyzing fear that she had ever felt in her life.
Chapter 16
Anita’s concentration took a serious nosedive after speaking to Agent Sullivan. She struggled through the simplest of tasks and found it difficult to make even the easiest of decisions. After responding to a series of e-mails, she looked up to see one of the girls from the secretarial pool standing by her desk.
“Can I help you?” she asked politely trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.
The girl looked Anita over for a moment. “Miss Lewis, I found this in with the work you left earlier this morning.”
Anita looked. It was the preliminary figures for the budget report she was supposed to complete.
“Thank you. I was looking all over the place for those; I thought I was going to have to do them over. I just don’t know where my head is today.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. It happens to the best of us. Do you have anything else while I’m here?”
“No. Not at the moment. Thanks again.”
She was slipping. Kayla was counting on her and she was screwing up. Anita excused herself and head to the ladies room. Afterwards, she notified the front desk that she was going to take a quick break. She told the girl she would be back in twenty minutes if anyone was looking for her.
Once outside, she took a deep breath. She really needed to get her head back in the game. She looked at her watch and started walking up t
he block. She stopped when she reached the front of the park. Walking through the gate, she went and sat down on one of the nearby benches.
If what Agent Sullivan said was true, then this whole thing went a lot deeper than they had imagined. When Anita called him, she was really hoping that he would offer a speedy resolution or tell her something encouraging that she could go back to Mama Ann and Kayla with. Instead, all she had was the possibility that The Chief might be involved and was playing Detective Woods like a fiddle. And since she was sworn to secrecy, she couldn’t even tell her friend what she had found out.
Anita suddenly felt exhausted and worn out. Her neck muscles tensed and grew tight as pain began to work its way across her forehead. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to release some of the pressure with no success. A quick glance at her watch told her that her break time was up. She head back to the office, suddenly sorry she hadn’t taken the day off with Kayla and even sorrier she had contacted Agent Sullivan. Arriving at the medical center, she put on her best face and walked back inside.
Back at Mama Ann’s, Kayla stayed in the living room with Lawrence while her mom and Nat stayed in the kitchen. Once Lawrence was sure that there was no imminent threat, he sat down to drink his coffee though his body remained tensed and ready to spring into action if necessary.
“What are you looking at?” he asked amiably.
Kayla hadn’t even realized until he asked that she was staring at him. Lawrence was good-looking. He was about 6’2”, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His dark brown hair was cut short into a sea of waves that could make you seasick if you stared at them too long; his skin was the color of milk chocolate. His eyes were almost a complete match to his skin which was completely clean-shaven with no facial hair whatsoever. His muscles rippled underneath his black shirt and his long legs gave hints as to the level of musculature that lay beneath his blue jeans every time he moved.
MY FATHER'S KILLER: Kayla's Story Page 12
